Robert Hull

Bio: Robert Hull is an academic researcher from University of Virginia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Dislocation & Focused ion beam. The author has an hindex of 51, co-authored 276 publications receiving 11493 citations. Previous affiliations of Robert Hull include University of Tokyo & Bell Labs.

Nucleation and Growth of CdSe on ZnS Quantum Crystallite Seeds and Vice Versa, in Inverse Micelle Media

Abstract: Composite semiconductor crystallites involving CdSe grown on an ZnS seed, and vice versa, have been synthesized and capped with organic ligands in inverse micelle solutions. These composite particles, as well as capped seed crystallites of CdSe and ZnS, are isolated, purified, and characterized for relative atomic composition, structure, and electronic properties. The Debye X-ray scattering equation, when solved for these layered particles, shows that powder X-ray scattering is insensitive to a small foreign inclusion. A simple theoretical model for the LUMO and HOMO of layered crystallites shows that a small (< 15-{angstrom} diameter) interior foreign seed causes only small shifts of the lowest excited state, to either higher or lower energies. The capped CdSe seed and the capped CdSe portion of the layered particle grown on a ZnSe seed undergo low-temperature (169{degree}C) annealing to give near-single-crystal X-ray scattering. However, CdSe annealing is blocked by a surface ZnS layer which is ca. 4 {angstrom} thick. While growth to make composite particles does occur, neither particle shows evidence for epitaxial growth.

Properties of Crystalline Silicon

Abstract: Silicon, as used in silicon chips, is the material on which the information society depends for its computer power. In this reference work aimed at academics, process developers and device simulation engineers working in silicon microelectronics, Professor Hull has brought together 100 authors from the USA, Japan and Europe to review its properties. The text is divided into over 124 indexed modules ("Datareviews") and also offers guidance on over 3000 key references.

Dynamic microscopy of nanoscale cluster growth at the solid–liquid interface

Abstract: Dynamic processes at the solid–liquid interface are of key importance across broad areas of science and technology. Electrochemical deposition of copper, for example, is used for metallization in integrated circuits, and a detailed understanding of nucleation, growth and coalescence is essential in optimizing the final microstructure. Our understanding of processes at the solid–vapour interface has advanced tremendously over the past decade due to the routine availability of real-time, high-resolution imaging techniques yielding data that can be compared quantitatively with theory1,2,3. However, the difficulty of studying the solid–liquid interface leaves our understanding of processes there less complete. Here we analyse dynamic observations—recorded in situ using a novel transmission electron microscopy technique—of the nucleation and growth of nanoscale copper clusters during electrodeposition. We follow in real time the evolution of individual clusters, and compare their development with simulations incorporating the basic physics of electrodeposition during the early stages of growth. The experimental technique developed here is applicable to a broad range of dynamic phenomena at the solid–liquid interface.

Excited electronic states and optical spectra of ZnS and CdS crystallites in the ≊15 to 50 Å size range: Evolution from molecular to bulk semiconducting properties

Abstract: Very small ZnS and CdS crystallites are made and stabilized in aqueous and methanolic media without organic surfactants. Low temperature (−77 °C) synthesis in methanol produces the smallest crystallites, ≈30 A diameter cubic CdS and <20 A diameter cubic ZnS. The crystallites are characterized by transmission electron microscopy and in situ optical spectroscopy (λ≳200 nm). The crystallites are too small to exhibit bulk band gaps in their optical spectra. In the band gap region, the small crystallites show a higher energy absorption threshold with a resolved spectral feature (quantum size exciton peak), not present in the spectra of larger crystals. The far ultraviolet spectra are unaffected by size at present resolution. These results can be understood in terms of the crystallite molecular orbitals, and an elementary confined electron and hole model.

Room-temperature ultraviolet nanowire nanolasers

Abstract: Room-temperature ultraviolet lasing in semiconductor nanowire arrays has been demonstrated The self-organized, oriented zinc oxide nanowires grown on sapphire substrates were synthesized with a simple vapor transport and condensation process These wide band-gap semiconductor nanowires form natural laser cavities with diameters varying from 20 to 150 nanometers and lengths up to 10 micrometers Under optical excitation, surface-emitting lasing action was observed at 385 nanometers, with an emission linewidth less than 03 nanometer The chemical flexibility and the one-dimensionality of the nanowires make them ideal miniaturized laser light sources These short-wavelength nanolasers could have myriad applications, including optical computing, information storage, and microanalysis

Chemistry and properties of nanocrystals of different shapes.

Abstract: The interest in nanoscale materials stems from the fact that new properties are acquired at this length scale and, equally important, that these properties * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone, 404-8940292; fax, 404-894-0294; e-mail, mostafa.el-sayed@ chemistry.gatech.edu. † Case Western Reserve UniversitysMillis 2258. ‡ Phone, 216-368-5918; fax, 216-368-3006; e-mail, burda@case.edu. § Georgia Institute of Technology. 1025 Chem. Rev. 2005, 105, 1025−1102

2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures

Abstract: BACKGROUND Materials by design is an appealing idea that is very hard to realize in practice. Combining the best of different ingredients in one ultimate material is a task for which we currently have no general solution. However, we do have some successful examples to draw upon: Composite materials and III-V heterostructures have revolutionized many aspects of our lives. Still, we need a general strategy to solve the problem of mixing and matching crystals with different properties, creating combinations with predetermined attributes and functionalities. ADVANCES Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer a platform that allows creation of heterostructures with a variety of properties. One-atom-thick crystals now comprise a large family of these materials, collectively covering a very broad range of properties. The first material to be included was graphene, a zero-overlap semimetal. The family of 2D crystals has grown to includes metals (e.g., NbSe 2 ), semiconductors (e.g., MoS 2 ), and insulators [e.g., hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)]. Many of these materials are stable at ambient conditions, and we have come up with strategies for handling those that are not. Surprisingly, the properties of such 2D materials are often very different from those of their 3D counterparts. Furthermore, even the study of familiar phenomena (like superconductivity or ferromagnetism) in the 2D case, where there is no long-range order, raises many thought-provoking questions. A plethora of opportunities appear when we start to combine several 2D crystals in one vertical stack. Held together by van der Waals forces (the same forces that hold layered materials together), such heterostructures allow a far greater number of combinations than any traditional growth method. As the family of 2D crystals is expanding day by day, so too is the complexity of the heterostructures that could be created with atomic precision. When stacking different crystals together, the synergetic effects become very important. In the first-order approximation, charge redistribution might occur between the neighboring (and even more distant) crystals in the stack. Neighboring crystals can also induce structural changes in each other. Furthermore, such changes can be controlled by adjusting the relative orientation between the individual elements. Such heterostructures have already led to the observation of numerous exciting physical phenomena. Thus, spectrum reconstruction in graphene interacting with hBN allowed several groups to study the Hofstadter butterfly effect and topological currents in such a system. The possibility of positioning crystals in very close (but controlled) proximity to one another allows for the study of tunneling and drag effects. The use of semiconducting monolayers leads to the creation of optically active heterostructures. The extended range of functionalities of such heterostructures yields a range of possible applications. Now the highest-mobility graphene transistors are achieved by encapsulating graphene with hBN. Photovoltaic and light-emitting devices have been demonstrated by combining optically active semiconducting layers and graphene as transparent electrodes. OUTLOOK Currently, most 2D heterostructures are composed by direct stacking of individual monolayer flakes of different materials. Although this method allows ultimate flexibility, it is slow and cumbersome. Thus, techniques involving transfer of large-area crystals grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), direct growth of heterostructures by CVD or physical epitaxy, or one-step growth in solution are being developed. Currently, we are at the same level as we were with graphene 10 years ago: plenty of interesting science and unclear prospects for mass production. Given the fast progress of graphene technology over the past few years, we can expect similar advances in the production of the heterostructures, making the science and applications more achievable.

Nanostructures in Biodiagnostics

Abstract: In the last 10 years the field of molecular diagnostics has witnessed an explosion of interest in the use of nanomaterials in assays for gases, metal ions, and DNA and protein markers for many diseases. Intense research has been fueled by the need for practical, robust, and highly sensitive and selective detection agents that can address the deficiencies of conventional technologies. Chemists are playing an important role in designing and fabricating new materials for application in diagnostic assays. In certain cases assays based upon nanomaterials have offered significant advantages over conventional diagnostic systems with regard to assay sensitivity, selectivity, and practicality. Some of these new methods have recently been reviewed elsewhere with a focus on the materials themselves or as subclassifications in more generalized overviews of biological applications of nanomaterials.1-7 We intend to review some of the major advances and milestones in the field of detection systems based upon nanomaterials and their roles in biodiagnostic screening for nucleic acids, * To whom correspondence should be addressed. Phone: 847-4913907. Fax: 847-467-5123. E-mail: chadnano@northwestern.edu. Nathaniel L. Rosi earned his B.A. degree at Grinnell College (1999) and his Ph.D. degree from the University of Michigan (2003), where he studied the design, synthesis, and gas storage applications of metal−organic frameworks under the guidance of Professor Omar M. Yaghi. In 2003 he began postdoctoral studies as a member of Professor Mirkin’s group at Northwestern University. His current research focuses on the rational assembly of DNA-modified nanostructures into larger-scale materials.